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Baking is the technique of prolonged cooking of food by dry heat acting by conduction,
and not by radiation,
normally in an oven, but
also in hot ashes, or on hot stones. It is primarily used for the
preparation of bread,
cakes, pastries and pies, tarts, quiches, and cookies. Such items are
sometimes referred to as "baked goods," and are sold at a bakery. A
person who prepares baked goods as a profession is called a
baker. It is also used for
the preparation of baked potatoes; baked apples; baked beans;
some pasta dishes, such as lasagne; and various other
foods, such as the pretzel.

Many domestic ovens are provided with two heating
elements: one for baking, using convection and conduction to heat
the food; and one for broiling or grilling, heating
mainly by radiation. Meat may be baked, but is more often roasted, a similar process,
using higher temperatures and shorter cooking times.

The baking process does not add any fat to the product, and producers of
snack products such as potato
chips are also beginning to replace the process of deep-frying
with baking in order to reduce the fat content of their
products.

Overview

The dry heat of baking changes the structures of
starches in the food and
causes its outer surfaces to brown, giving it an attractive
appearance and taste, while partially sealing in the food's
moisture. The browning is caused by caramelization of sugars
and the Maillard
reaction. Moisture is never really entirely "sealed in",
however; over time, an item being baked will become dry. This is
often an advantage, especially in situations where drying is the
desired outcome, for example in drying herbs or in roasting certain types
of vegetables. The
most common baked item is bread. Variations in the ovens,
ingredients and recipes used in the baking of bread result in the
wide variety of breads produced around the world.

Some foods are surrounded with moisture during
baking by placing a small amount of liquid (such as water or broth) in the bottom of a closed
pan, and letting it steam up around the food, a method commonly
known as braising.

Over time breads become hard in a process known
as going stale. This is
not primarily due to moisture being lost from the baked products,
but more a reorganization of the way in which the water and starch
are associated over time. This process is similar to recrystallization,
and is promoted by storage at cool temperatures, such as those of a
domestic refrigerator.

History

Archaeological evidence suggests that the early
Egyptians
first made bread in
2600-2100 B.C. It is
believed that the Egyptians learned the skill from the Babylonians.
The royal bakery of Ramses featured
bread and cakes, some of which were shaped in the form of animals
and used for sacrifices.